


Unexpected

by AmayaSorata



Category: Tekken
Genre: AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-02-19 23:30:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2406884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmayaSorata/pseuds/AmayaSorata
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. AsuLili. Lili thought that her final semester at university would be a walk in the park. But sometimes, unexpected things happen. A story told in bits and pieces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Impending Change

Lili tapped at her desk absentmindedly with her pen as her eyes wandered the lecture room, paying no heed to the vast number of graphs and statistics that were currently being projected onto the screen ahead. She let her eyes settle on a girl sitting two rows down from her, the one with her hair tied up in a ponytail with red ribbon. It was a nice shade of red, close to her favourite but only slightly brighter. A blue ribbon would have looked better with the girl's long, brown, wavy hair, in her opinion. She always thought the colour blue matched well with brunettes.

Lili had a sudden impulse to tie up her own hair with ribbon. She lifted her bag up onto the empty seat next to her and began to search its contents. Unfortunately she didn't have any ribbon. Lili made it a point to buy a new one after the lecture ended. She looked back towards the brunette. She had big brown eyes and olive skin with Mediterranean features. Italian perhaps? It was an international university after all. Wait, why was she looking at her?

"Miss Rochefort?"

Her head snapped up and she suddenly noticed that the entire cohort was looking up at her expectantly. And so was the professor. He didn't seem very impressed.

"Um, yes?" was all she could manage.

"Let me repeat the question," the professor began sternly, "What is the most important thing for a company to consider in their business plans?"

There was a short silence as Lili quickly scanned the content on the screen, her brain kicking into overdrive. It took just moments for her to formulate an answer.

"Judging from the data you're showing us right now, you could say that maintaining a consistent demand and supply for a particular product is the most important to consider. The second priority would be possibilities for expansion, and the third would be the upkeep of an exit strategy," she explained in perfect English.

The professor was silent for a moment. He hadn't been expecting an answer from her. Lili tried her best not to smirk.

"Adequately answered, please try not to get distracted," he finally said before walking back to the lectern where his notes were. Everyone turned back towards the front of the lecture hall.

Lili frowned. _Just adequate?_ No. The de Rochefort's never settled for just adequate. She scanned the screen once again, more carefully this time around. It only took a moment for her to notice it.

"However that isn't the correct answer," she interjected, just as the professor opened his mouth to continue the lecture. Again the cohort turned towards her. Lili cleared her throat with a small cough.

"While the companies you sourced this data from are all widely known, they're still only subsidiaries. If you look at the business strategies from the holding companies, the companies that own and supply these smaller subsidiaries, you would see that the influence of science and new technology are consistently accommodated for in their plans in some way or another, most often through research and development.

"So why would they do that?" the professor tested.

"They do it because it prevents them from falling behind. The rate in which markets are becoming obsolete is rising at an exponential rate. Just in the past decade the market for conventional cameras was wiped out because of digital cameras. Even that market is losing steam as cell phone cameras rise in quality. And on that note when was the last time you saw an advertisement for a portable media player dedicated to audio?"

The room remained silent.

"My point exactly. When major companies don't invest in research and development, they get outrun by the competition and become obsolete. That's why its inclusion in business plans is often of the highest priority in most major companies"

The professor looked impressed.

"Very good input Miss Rochefort. It sounds like you've been reading ahead," he complimented before continuing.

Satisfied with the probability that the lecturer wouldn't be bothering her again for the rest of the semester, Lili went back to getting lost in her thoughts. What-ifs, penguins and food made up her usual cycle of thoughts. Once in a while however, she'd find herself thinking about her life- and how empty it felt. She had the wealth and aptitude scores to do anything she wanted. The problem was that she couldn't figure out what she wanted to do. Did she really want to inherit her father's company? Or was she only doing it because she didn't know what else to do? Was this what she was "meant" to be? Or was there something else awaiting her? With so many daunting questions and no answers to them, it was no wonder why she preferred to day dream about penguins in the Antarctic. Especially emperor penguins. Or better yet, emperor penguin babies. Cuuuuute!

An hour went by and the lecture ended. It was all stuff she already knew. Now she was tired and craving cream pasta. She hurriedly stuffed her notebooks into her bag and walked down the steps towards the exit.

"Ah, Miss Rochefort," the professor called out just as she was about step out the door.

It took all she had to not roll her eyes and sigh.

"Yes professor?" she managed to ask.

"The course coordinator, Miss Bélanger, has requested to see you in her office. I believe it's on the third floor of building one,"

Lili furrowed her brow at this information. What could the course coordinator possibly want with her?

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked tentatively.

The professor shook his head with a smile.

"No, no Lili, quite the contrary actually," he said.

When Lili's worried expression didn't change he gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

"Everything's fine Miss Rochefort. Just go and see the coordinator, everything will be clear then,"

Following the professor's advice she exited the lecture hall and began the semi-long walk towards building one. Try as she might, she was unable to defeat the sense of impending dread rising from her stomach. Lili never liked surprises. But something unexpected was about to happen, and there was nothing she could do to avoid it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how long this series is gonna be and whether or not I'll be able to finish it. Looking at my plot notes, i think it's gonna be fairly long. I really do want to finish it though. Maybe that's why I posted this first chapter on here, to try set something in stone. And who knows? Maybe good feedback will motivate me to write more.
> 
> Hopefully I can pump out a chapter per week. Hopefully. Because that's what every writer says. And then it ends up being months or, in the worst cases sometimes years before the next chapter comes out. I will try my best.
> 
> I'm pretty new to AO3 so i'm not sure how all this formatting and stuff works yet. Please bear with me if anything turns out weird or ugly looking.
> 
> Please kudos and comment with good things. Or bad things. Just keep it constructive please.
> 
> Bye for now.


	2. Trial

It had taken her while, but eventually she found it.

Monica Bélanger - Marketing and International Business Management, Course Coordinator, was what the nameplate on the door read.

Lili gulped. That sense of dread in her stomach from earlier had not dissipated. She wasn't sure what would happen when she knocked on the door. Part of her was scared of finding out. But things could only end badly if she disobeyed the request to meet with the coordinator. She squeezed her eyes shut before knocking.

"Come in," a woman's voice called out.

Lili slowly pushed the heavy wooden door open.

She was met with an impressive looking office of classical design, much like her father's own back at the mansion. Polished wood furnishings lined the walls and resting atop the dark oak floor was an emerald green, renaissance style carpet rug.

"Take a seat, Lili"

She looked up at the older, raven haired woman seated behind the large mahogany desk and was instantly reminded of where she was. This was not a time to be impressed at interior decor. She took a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of the woman's desk.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," said the woman Lili assumed to be Monica Bélanger, as she shuffled through several papers.

When she appeared to have found the paper she was after, she peered over the top of it to study Lili's face for a moment, before continuing read on.

"Ah, parlez-vous Français?" Bélanger asked casually in fluent French.

"Oui," Lili replied the same, "French is my native tongue,"

"That's a relief, after 2 months of leave in France, I seem to have forgotten how to speak English," Bélanger continued in French before laughing.

Lili just nodded and smiled politely.

"Anyway enough chit chat. I can assume you've been wondering why I called you up here, yes?"

The younger woman simply nodded again.

"Lili, you are the top student in this course. Over the years you have demonstrated a knowledge and understanding of the subject matter to a degree that is higher than even that of our best graduates from last year,"

Lili remained silent.

"As a student, you should know that the teaching methods utilized at this university are designed to push students out of their comfort zone in order for them to realize their own potential,"

The blonde let out a sigh. Both out of relief, now that she had an idea as to why she was there, and out of frustration, because her assignments were now probably going to be twice as difficult.

"Frankly I don't believe we've achieved that with you," Bélanger continued on.

Lili braced herself. She was praying that it wouldn't be a forty thousand word thesis.

"Which is why I believe you would be the perfect candidate to trial a new, immersive curriculum for future students of the course,"

Yesssss. She wouldn't have to write a forty thousand word thesis.

Wait, what did she say? Trial? Immersive? What on eart-

Bélanger had walked around her desk and placed several resealable envelopes onto Lili's lap. The one on top read, Australia - Vineyard.

"The curriculum you will be trialling involves complete, real world immersion. The envelopes I've given to you contain the details of several small businesses in different parts of the world,"

Lili couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this for real? Surely it couldn't be.

"Your assignment is to manage and increase the income revenue of one of these small businesses by 50 percent before the semester ends. Don't worry they've all given full consent to the university. You start next week so that gives you about 16 weeks accomplish this. Top marks will be granted if you succeed. We expect weekly reports sent via the student website. Keep them short; no more than 500 words each,"

Lili was speechless as she took everything in. This was crazy. Taking over a small business in another part of the world? Theoretically it could be done but ideally you'd want to visit at least once a month to keep tabs on everything. It would be a difficult task to undertake for anyone. She mulled over all the options.

"Do you have any questions Lili?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes, couple actually. Firstly, what happens if I choose not to accept?"

The question seemed to bother Miss Bélanger.

"Well, there are other curriculum strategies for you to test out. I doubt you would find interest them. Unless, writing a fifty thousand word thesis is something you find appealing. In that case I'll kindly accept your refusal."

"Oh I can assure you that is far from the case,"

Ew. Fifty thousand? This was worse than she expected. Although running a small business from home actually seemed somewhat appealing. The only problem was that she ran the risk of running the business into the ground if she ended up procrastinating like she sometimes did in the face of assignments. The vast amount of penguin videos on the internet didn't help with that. She still had one more question though.

"My other question is, would I be allowed to visit the business I choose to manage? Once a month at least? I know it seems farfetched, but it's a difficult task, even for me, to manage a business with minimal contact with the owners, and you wouldn't have pay for the plane tickets, my family owns a private jet you see..."

Miss Bélanger appeared confused by the question at first, but soon it clicked.

"Well of course you'll be allowed to visit them. You'll be staying there after all," she explained with a laugh.

"What?" Lili said in disbelief.

"Running a business from across the globe; we couldn't ask that much from student, even one of your calibre. That's why we're sending you there, so you can keep in frequent touch with the owners and adjust your plans accordingly. Think of it as an early internship, where instead of being paid, you are working for your final mark."

Lili's mouth hung open in disbelief. For the next 16 weeks she would be living somewhere far away from Monaco, running a small business. She swallowed her anxiety. Or at least she tried to. But the words "far away from Monaco" kept repeating in her head. Sure she had tagged along on business trips and vacations many times before, but it was never for more than a week or two, it didn't take very much to make her feel homesick. Monaco was her home, and now it felt like she was being exiled from it.

She looked down at the envelopes in her lap. One by one she went through them. Australia - Vineyard, America - Family Restaurant, Dubai - Nightclub, Brazil - Cafe, and finally Japan - Martial Arts Studio.

The last one stirred something inside her- she wasn't sure what. Maybe it was because of the Japanese language elective she took back in her first year.

Bélanger broke the silence.

"Take those home and read through them thoroughly. You start next Monday, so I want your decision made by tomorrow. Just swing by anytime before three. Is everything clear?"

"Yes Miss Bélanger,"

Lili stood from her chair, giving a curt bow before turning and exiting the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee Lili I wonder which country you're gonna choose to go to. My original plan had her choosing brazil and falling in love with Christie... 
> 
> No, I'm just kidding. I wouldn't do that. I despise chreddie players. Especially the good ones haha.
> 
> I was surprised Christie wasnt in the Tekken 7 location test? And on that note where was the leading lady of tekken, Nina? Praying she's still in that game. 
> 
> But asulili being confirmed is good enough for me. I'm happy. Wish they'd change their faces back though. I'm not a fan of the moemoe look...
> 
> Lili goes to the International University of Monaco btw. It's a nice coincidence that it happens to specialize in business and marketing irl, given that Lili is the daughter of a CEO haha.
> 
> Anyway. Bye for now.


	3. Welcome to Osaka

Week 1, Monday. 4.30 pm.

Lili couldn't help but yawn as she fastened her seatbelt.

"Rough flight?" said the lady sitting next to her in the driver's seat.

Rough was an understatement. 

Nothing had gone as planned. She hadn't known that yesterday was the day the jet had been scheduled for its annual maintenence and airworthiness check. Thankfully the helicopter wasn't due for its service until the following week; it was only about a 7 minute flight from Monaco to Nice Côte d'Azur, the closest public airport. With a little convincing she'd been able to secure a seat on the earliest flight to Osaka, Japan. Unfortunately for her she had completely forgotten that commercial airlines had different travel classes. Twelve and a half sleepless hours were spent in the Economy cabin, which cam complete with a crying baby in the front row. Not to mention there was no leg room to accomodate her tall stature. Oh god. Economy class. Never again...

"You could say that," Lili answered honestly with a loud sigh. Right now she was too exhausted for any politeness. The older lady chuckled. 

"Well you should try and get some rest now," she said with a small, but genuine smile, "The afternoon traffic in Osaka is horrible. We won't be arriving for at least another hour,"

When she read the unease in Lili's face the older woman reached over and adjusted her seat in a way that allowed to her lean back and stretch her long legs out comfortably.

"Relax. I may be forty eight but my driving is as good as ever," 

Lili gave her a surprised look. Forty eight? She could have easily passed for a woman in her early thirties. Apart from the faint wrinkles around her brown eyes, her milky skin was still very smooth and supple. Her dark brown, shoulder length hair looked extremely healthy as well. Lili felt a sudden urge to ask what skin and hair care products she used. But she kept the question to herself, storing it at the back of her mind for a later date.

"Please treat me well then, Mrs. Kazama." Lili bowed her head politely as she recited the Japanese set phrase and allowed herself to lean back into the seat.

"Good," Mrs. Kazama said approvingly, "Like I said, dont worry about my driving. I've only crashed 7 times this year,"

Lili's head snapped up. Mrs. Kazama burst into laughter when she saw her face.

"I'm only kidding Lili. Welcome to Osaka. The people here are somewhat famous for cracking jokes," she explained, "You'd best get used to it as soon as you can,"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Lili smiled in amusement before leaning back into the seat again. Within seconds she was sound asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaay Mrs K. makes her first appearance. I'll explain her role in regards to Lili's assignment the next chapter
> 
> The next chapter should be up soon. This chapter was originally meant to be longer but i decided to split it in two.
> 
> Bye for now.


	4. Kazama-Style Traditional Martial Arts Dojo

Week 1. Monday 5.42 pm.

"Lili,"

She felt someone gently shake her shoulder.

"Lili, wake up. We're here."

It took a moment for her to recognise Mrs. Kazama's voice. She blinked her eyes open, and the events of the past few hours came flooding back into memory. After rubbing the sleep out her eyes, she opened the car door and stepped out. She took in a deep breath as she stretched her out her limbs and back.

That was when it hit her- her first bout of homesickness. It was smell of the air, or rather lack of smell, which caused it. Monaco was a seaside city, and relatively tiny in comparison to Osaka. It didn't matter where you were in Monaco; the smell of the ocean always followed you. It saddened her, knowing that home was so far away. But there was nothing she could do about it. She pushed the feeling aside.

She suddenly heard a surprised shriek from behind her. Lili spun around. A middle aged looking man had wrapped his arms around Mrs. Kazama from behind, in a tight, loving embrace.

"Oi you, stop that!" Mrs. Kazama giggled. When the man didn't listen and instead begun to nuzzle at her hair, Mrs. Kazama promptly elbowed him in the gut. The man doubled over in pain.

"We gotta guest ya airhead. Dontcha' 'member what I said yesterday?"

Lili noticed that Mrs. Kazama had changed the way she spoke. The way she slurred her words together and stressed different parts of the sentence made it difficult to decipher what she was saying. She even said some words Lili hadn't ever heard before. Thankfully she managed to understand the gist of she was saying.

The man looked up. After finally noticing Lili's presence, he suddenly darted away from Mrs. Kazama, as if they were teenagers caught behind the school shed. Lili couldn't help but smile.

"This is Lili, she'll be helping manage the Dojo for the next few months," Mrs. Kazama introduced, her accent reverting back to how it had been previously, "Try and speak standard dialect when she's around okay?"

"I'm sorry," the man, whom Lili assumed was Mr. Kazama, apologised with a bow. "Because of her work, my beautiful wife only comes home during weekend. Her bein' at home on a Monday is a special occasion for me."

While the rhythm of his speech remained unfamiliar, Lili understood his words clearly.

Mrs. Kazama blushed slightly before elbowing her husband in the side, more lightly this time.

"Oh that reminds me. Lili, I'm actually going to be the person assessing you and your work on the Dojo," Mrs. Kazama said, "I actually teach Commerce and Business Management at the University of Tokyo, which is why I'm only home on the weekends. I took the day off today because I heard you were coming, but I'll be heading back to work tomorrow. Remind me to give you my contact details later on."

Lili was surprised at the revelation. But it made sense for her university to have someone with qualifications watching over her.

"I understand that one of your requirements is to write weekly status reports, yes?" Mrs. Kazama continued.

"Yes that's correct," she confirmed.

"Feel free to have me look over those before you send them off. Although from what I've heard about you, I don't think there will be a need to."

"I'll keep that in mind," Lili replied. Mrs. Kazama had been so warm and welcoming, and going by her initial impression of him, Mr. Kazama seemed likely to be the same. Maybe this trip wouldn't be such a big deal afterall.

"Anyway, enough yappin’," Mr Kazama suddenly announced, "We'll show ya the dojo and then after that I'll get started on dinner,"

"Sure," Lili said in agreement.

"Alright then, come this way." Mr Kazama opened a gate that appeared to lead towards the back of the house.

Lili took a moment to examine the front of the house, before following the Kazamas through the gate. As she did, she took out a notepad and began jotting down notes. She was racking her brain for a word when Mr. Kazama announced their arrival.

"Here it is. The Kazama Dojo,"

Lili did a double take.

She had been expecting a modern day dojo, something with a compact, studio like look and feel. What was in front of her was the direct opposite of that. It was a traditional dojo, quite large compared to the house, and roughly square in shape. The roof was lined in black tiling, and the corners were slightly upturned, a design feature that was archetypal of traditional Japanese architecture.

What was even more stunning was the garden that surrounded it. Two tall cherry blossom trees framed the entrance to the dojo, one on each side of the stone path leading up to it. To the left of the stone path was a small pond that no doubt had a variety of koi fish swimming in it. To the right was a raised wooden platform, about a quarter of the size the dojo, which Lili assumed was for outdoor sessions and meditation. Everything was in immaculate condition. She was surprised all of this was back here, the front of the house was so unassuming and somewhat boring when compared to what was hiding behind it.

Lili hadn't realized just how long she had been just standing there, mouth ajar, until the Kazamas called out to her from the dojo entrance. She hastily wrote down some more notes as she hastily half jogged towards them, taking care not to stumble in her high heeled ankle boots.

"Shoes off," Mrs. Kazama requested as Lili reached the entrance. Lili saw that there was an area on the ground just before the entrance to the dojo that was tiled in black marble. A pair of low, black, business heels and a pair of wooden geta slippers had been left on the marble, off to the side, their toes facing outwards away from the entrance and towards the house. She removed her boots and did the same, before walking up towards Mr. and Mrs. Kazama.

"Ready for the reveal?" Mr. Kazama said in an announcer like fashion.

Lili nodded in anticipation. Slowly Mr. Kazama slid open the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what you're thinking. You're 4 chaps in Amaya, where the hell is Asuka? 
> 
> I promise she'll make an appearance soon. This is probably a good time to say that the asulili in this fic is gonna be fairly slow burn.
> 
> But anywaay, bye for now.


	5. Whoops

Week 1. Monday. 8.07 pm.

"So, what did you think of the Dojo?" Mrs. Kazama asked as they stopped at a red light.

"It was a nice surprise. I was expecting a lot less when I read, Martial Arts Studio in the information package my coordinator gave me,"

Lili took out her smartphone from her purse and scrolled through the pictures she had taken earlier.

While the exterior of the dojo was undoubtedly traditional in aesthetic, its interior was a pleasant harmony of historical beauty and modern day functionality. It was spacious; she estimated the dimensions at approximately 25 x 25 meters. Judging by the dark burgundy colour and shine, the dojo's floor was made from Japanese red pine, coated with a humble, natural satin finish. Apart from the back wall, there were sliding doors on each side of the room that could let in natural light and breeze. In the centre of the room was a slightly elevated section of the floor. Judging by its square shape and the tatami mats the covered it, Lili assumed this was where the sparring took place.

Lili glanced up as the GPS commanded Mrs. Kazama to turn right, and yawned. Her eyes felt heavy. She was beginning to feel the jetlag. Hopefully the hotel wasn't that much further away. She continued scrolling through the photos in an attempt to stay awake.

The corners of the dojo contained its more modern elements. In the corner directly to her left was a space that seemed more like a mini boxing gym. It contained two heavy bags that hung from a structural horizontal column, as well as a double-end bag secured to the floor and ceiling, and a speed bag on the left wall. To her right was a smaller sparring area. Mirrors lined the corner walls and it was floored with more modern rubberised mats. In the back right corner was a raised, stage like structure. Judging from the array of barbells, dumbbells and kettle bells, the raised platform was there to protect the dojo floor when people had to dump their weights. Finally, the back left corner appeared to be dedicated to body weight training; pull up bars, gymnastic rings, parallel and uneven bars, and an incline bench.

The place had such a unique aesthetic and the Kazamas seemed like pleasant people. It had boggled her when she found out that the Kazama's were going through a financial slump.

"I'm surprised that your business isn't faring better,"

"Ah yes. That’s what everyone says," Mrs. Kazama said with a thin smile, "5 years ago the place was flourishing; it was like a community centre for this part of the city. And then something happened, we don’t know what. Slowly, people just stopped coming. My husband and I thought it was because the place was getting old. So we refurbished the Dojo into what it is now, and spent a lot of money doing so. And it worked, for a few months. Unfortunately we still haven't been able to break even on our spending."

Lili frowned. That was strange. There had to be a reason. Markets didn't ju-

"They don't just disappear right?" Mrs. Kazama, had somehow taken the words out her mouth, "This where you come into play. I'm getting old Lili, I can't stay on top of all the latest trends and anticipate the new ones. But you're still young. You can see and predict things that I can't. You can offer fresh ideas; ideas that could potentially save the dojo."

Lili gulped. If this is what Miss. Bélanger had meant by developing "immersive curriculum" then she had succeeded. The way Mrs. Kazama had put it made it sound like she was the last hope for the dojo.

"What are your plans for this week?" Mrs. Kazama continued as she turned left into another busy street. Lili could see that she was trying to steer the conversation in a more positive direction.

"Well, for tomorrow I might just observe the classes while I write up a survey that for the students to fill. Just basic questions about what they do and don't like. After that, probably more research and possibly a minor one day promotional campaign," she offered tentatively, "Nothing drastic, it'll probably just involve me handing out flyers in other parts of the city."

"Sounds like a good start. A little safe but that's understandable," Mrs. Kazama replied, "Oh look, we're almost at your hotel.

Surely enough, the GPS chimed out its final instruction.

"Turn left. Then, destination on the right, in one hundred, and, fifty meters,"

Lili let out a breath of relief as Mrs. Kazama turned the corner.

"Umm, Lili? What's the name of your hotel?" Mrs. Kazama suddenly asked.

Lili couldn't help but notice the unease in Mrs. Kazamas tone.

"Uh, hold on let me check," she quickly opened the day planner application on her phone. After scrolling through a few screens, agree finally answered, "Renai Hotel."

Mrs. Kazama laughed.

"Oh, Lili I think you've made a terrible mistake,"

"What? I swear the address I gave you was correct..."

"Thats not what's incorrect Lili," Mrs. Kazama said between giggles, "Look."

Lili looked over in the direction Mrs. Kazama was pointing. A building up ahead seemed to be lit up from floodlights at its base. Pink floodlights. Actually, now that she thought about it, the entire building was accented in pink. Even its sign read Renai Hotel in bright pink neon. Wait. Renai Hotel. That pink building was her hotel.

A thought came to mind and everything suddenly clicked together. Oh God.

Renai Hotel. Strange pink lighting.

Renai. That meant Love in Japanese.

It was a love hotel.

Lili had booked her 16 accommodation week at a love hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops is probably an understatement.
> 
> Yeeees I know a love hotel probably wouldnt let you book a room for 16 weeks but lets just say that the owner of this hotel really needs the cash.
> 
> And before you say that this was a stupid chapter and totally unnecessary for a simple gag, I have one question to ask you:
> 
> Where's Lili gonna sleep now?
> 
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .
> 
> The answer is on the street because the kazamas don't have time fo dat. 
> 
> Bye for now.


	6. Errr. Hello Beautiful?

Week 1. Monday. 8.31 pm.

Gulping down her final mouthful of the hearty stew, she uncrossed her legs underneath the low table and leaned into the backrest, letting out a satisfied, "Ahhh," as rubbed her belly.

Nothing could beat her Dad's home cooked Chakonabe after a hard day's work.

She made a move to get up off the floor when a sudden jolt pain shot out from her shoulder. Damn. She'd forgotten about that. Earlier at work the new guy had overestimated his strength and tried to carry a 40 kilo bag of cement on his shoulder. Big arms didn't mean strong arms. His legs gave out and ended up dropping the bag into a deep ditch. He would have also fallen in, had she not grabbed him by the forearm as he tumbled over the edge. But she had strained her shoulder in the process. Could’ve been worse though. The construction forewoman was so thankful when she found out that she let her have a paid day off for tomorrow.

She massaged her injured shoulder lightly. Tch. Boys. Always had affirm that they were stronger. Just because she could lift the cement bags with ease didn't mean that he could. And so what if he wasn't as strong as her? Did it really even matter that much, and if it did, was it really worth risking his own life over? Ugh. She was thankful that the majority of the males she worked with were **men** with common sense.

"What's wrong with yer arm?" she heard her father say behind her. She turned to her head to see him, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her when she saw the concerned look in his eyes.

"Hmm? Oh no nothin’ I'm just, scratching it," she tried to lie.

Her father shot her a knowing look.

"I'm fine Dad don't worry about me," she reassured.

Her father let out a helpless sigh as he rubbed his temples.

"If ya say so. Just don't let your mother find out or we'll both be in for it ya hear?" he reminded her. "And on that note she's gonna be home soon so hurry and get cleaned up."

Right. She quickly ran up stairs into her bedroom and changed into a pair of black mesh gym shorts and a loose fitting, navy blue singlet. She could have a shower later. She wanted to test her shoulder out on the heavy bag first. And maybe do some inverted sit ups while she was at it.

The doorbell rang. Strange. Maybe Mom had left the keys at home? She burst out her room and bounded back down the stairs like she was still her 10 year old self and opened the door.

"Hey Mo-"

Oh.

She looked up at the tall young woman standing in front of her doorway.

So that's why the doorbell had rung.

Straight long, naturally blonde hair waved slightly in the breeze and crystal blue eyes stared into hers, before the young woman finally parted her rosy lips to speak.

"Errr. Bonjour ma belle?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why construction worker asuka? Because it fits imo. Aaaand also because their uniforms look kinda badass. 
> 
> https://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8ubqgmu7r1qz4vt4o1_1280.jpg
> 
> http://kookyinhokkaido.tumblr.com/post/57013637678/space-coyote-have-some-awesome-japanese
> 
> Ugh the thought of asuka sweatin it out at the construction yard. Kyaaa.
> 
> Chakonabe is great btw you gotta try it. It's also known as sumo stew but anyone can eat it. Especially fighters like asuka. They benefit greatly from the vast amounts of protein and good fats from all the chunky vegetables.
> 
> Hopefully this first meeting was satisfying after 5 chapters of mood setting and background info. Even if it was only for a few seconds. I'll post the next one as soon as i can.
> 
> But anyway, like always, bye for now.


	7. Flustered

Week 1. Monday. 8.36 pm.

She wasn't exactly sure of what it was that caused her tongue to slip. In fact she hadn't even realized that she'd actually said anything until moments later. Her mind had suddenly just spoken for itself without her permission.

Was it the fatigue from the jet lag? Or was it the fact that she was still internally rebounding from the embarrassment she had experienced earlier? Perhaps it was combination of both?

But looking at the young woman standing in the entrance to the Kazama residence, only one thing was for sure:

She hadn't been lying when she said it.

"You lost or somethin'?" the young woman asked brusquely, her voice somehow both coarse and mellow at the same time. Her accent was identical to that of Mr and Mrs. Kazama.

The sudden question caught Lili off guard and for a moment her mouth lost it's ability to form coherent sentences.

"E-eh? Perdue? Non. You are, chigaimasu," she stammered in a word salad of different languages.

The brunette scratched the back of her head in confusion.

"Um. Lost? Is you... lost?" the person in the doorway tried again in broken English.

By now Lili had managed to regain her composure. She was about to show her that she could speak and give reason as to why she was at her doorstep, when Mrs. Kazama beat her to it.

"Don't worry Asuka, this young lady is with me," Mrs. Kazama explained as she walked up to the entrance of the house.

Asuka?

"Mom!"

Mom?

Lili watched on as the young woman darted past her towards Mrs. Kazama, feet only halfway inside her sneakers, before giving the older lady a hug.

"Hey sweet'. Where have ya been past four weekends?" Mrs. Kazama asked when the younger woman finally released her.

"At, uhh... sleepovers." the brunette said while looking at the ground.

Mrs, Kazama shot the young brunette a look.

"There's somethin' you're not telling me," she said knowingly. Mrs. Kazama noticed Lili watching their exchange in awkward silence.

"I'll pry it out of your father later. For now I want you to meet Lili, she'll be staying with us for a few nights while she gets her accommodation sorted, but for the next couple of months she'll be helping you and your dad manage the dojo." she said as she motioned towards her, "Lili this is my daughter, Asuka,"

They looked at each other. Ah yes. So this was the daughter Mrs. Kazama had mentioned over dinner. Looking at them side by side, Lili wondered why she hadn't made that connection earlier. Asuka was a spitting image of her mother. In spite of their similarities however, for some odd reason Lili could only see the differences between them.

Asuka's face was slightly longer and more angular compared to her mothers rotund face. Her nose, while of similar shape, was not as wide. The most obvious difference was her hair. It was a shade darker compared to Mrs. Kazama's, almost black like her fathers. Hers was also much shorter in length, reaching no further than about halfway down her neck and her long choppy bangs were parted messily above her left eye. The hair on the right side of her head also appeared to flick outwards, while the other side remained flat. Whether she had actually styled it that way, or just left it like that after sleeping on one side, Lili wasn't sure. It suited her though. Asuka's skin was also slightly darker than her mothers, who had a milky white complexion. Hers was a natural sun kissed- no, sun-pecked tan.

"Hey," Asuka said with a friendly smile that reached her eyes.

That was the difference Lili noticed the most; her eyes. Asuka's upturned eyes were more almond shaped instead of round. But it was the color of her irises that was most striking. Instead of a deep dark brown like her mother's, Asuka's shone a fierce, luminous amber. Maybe it was actually her eyes that had made her flustered earlier.

Asuka cocked her head to the side, puzzled. Lili realized she had been staring again.

"Oh uh, hello," Lili finally replied as she looked away, feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden.

There was an awkward pause after that. Thankfully Mrs. Kazama was there to push the conversation along.

"Why don't ya help her with her bags while I air out the spare futon?" said Mrs. Kazama. Again there was a short silence between the two of them as Mrs. Kazama headed into the house.

After a short moment the brunette reached over to grab the handle of the large designer suitcase she was holding onto. Lili's hand flinched away shyly when their fingers made contact.

Asuka frowned.

"Somethin' the matter?" she asked.

"I-it's okay you don't need to help," Lili stammered in Japanese.

"But," Asuka appeared to look around Lili, "ya got six bags with ya. It'll take a while to get all those up the stairs into my bedroom. I'll help,"

Wait. Did she just say-

"Bedroom? I'm going to be sleeping in your room?" she asked, becoming flustered once again.

"Well, duh. Where else are you gonna sleep, in the kitchen?"

Lili had to take a moment to process everything. Everything was going too fast. She had just met this girl and now she was going to sleep in the same room as her? She didn't know if she was ready to sleep with such an attracti- No. Lili shook her head. Her thoughts had almost gotten out of hand. She looked back towards Asuka, who was looking at her quite strangely after her internal bout. Lili felt the blood rush to her face.

"O-okay. Just be careful," Lili cautioned. Some of the bags were quite heavy. She didn't want Asuka to hurt herself.

"Relax, I won't break anythin'," Asuka said as Lili turned around and shortened the telescoping handle bar of the second suitcase so it was flush with the top of it. Lili smiled at the exaggerated reassurance, remembering what Mrs. Kazama had said about Osakan culture. Sure the bags were heavy, but they weren't going to break any bones, unless of course she dropped one on her foot. But one glance was all that was needed to see that Asuka was a very fit person. Those arms wouldn't be dropping anything anytime soon. She stopped herself at that thought, knowing that her thoughts were beginning to head off course again.

Lili turned around and opened her mouth say thank you, but Asuka had already disappeared into the house. She made a mental note to thank her later.

When they finally brought all of her luggage into Asuka's room and arranged them in a way that actually gave them space to move around, Lili was exhausted. Mr. Kazama offered her another serving of that delicious stew they had eaten earlier for dinner, but she kindly refused. All she wanted to do was sleep. She skipped on having a shower, afraid she might fall asleep while her hair was still wet. Sleepily, she changed into her sleepwear, a simple white camisole with red trimming and a matching pair of shorts, before switching off the light and slipping into the futon Mrs. Kazama had laid out for her. Normally the hardness of the floor would have kept her from falling asleep, but she was too fatigued to care.

As she felt the sleepiness take over, she let her mind wander a final time.

"Asuka Kazama," she tested the name on her lips before finally closing her heavy eyelids.

It had a nice ring to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you: Amber eyes? I'm pretty sure asuka has dark brown eyes.
> 
> Yeah well in one of the sfxt screens asuka actually has gray eyes, its the same image i got my lili icon from. (here's the link, http://freevitathemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/00-street-fighter-x-tekken-official.png ) I settled on amber because depending on the light amber can appear both gray and brown.
> 
> And for those worried that the two haven't been arguing like they usually do, dont worry, they will be soon enough. For now lets just laugh at a lovestruck Lili struggling to function in the presence of Asuka. 
> 
> I'm aware that Lili is mildly ooc. My version of her is alittle toned down. She's not as abusive(?) with her wealth and fortune. She's also not as judging and more accepting i guess. And smart. I've always seen lili as the smart one, even though the tekken comic kinda says otherwise LOL. I think i got the rich girl hautiness kinda down though. And her obsession with asuka :P
> 
> Writing for tekken is kind of a double edged sword imo. It's a little more forgiving to write, because the characters have been through so little canon development so theyre a bit more malleable. But on the other side of that, people can have completely different ideas about a character that dont always match up with everyone elses.
> 
> Hopefully my ideas match up with yours. Comment if they do or dont.
> 
> Bye for now.


	8. Unwanted Conflict

Week 1. Wednesday. 1.06 am.

"Hey Blondie. Wake up."

Those were the only words Asuka had spoken to her. All day.

Lili tumbled in her futon for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. How she had managed to sleep in it the first time was unbeknownst to her.

She felt like crap. She'd been woken up at 5am to help prepare the dojo for a "pre work/school" class that ended up not running because the one man that usually attended hadn't come. Apparently that was the only Tuesday class that had regulars. Or a regular, rather.

The undergraduate sighed. At least she'd been able to finish typing up her rough draft of the survey. Mr. Kazama had approved of it, but she didn't want to start printing anything without actually observing at least one session.

Lili looked up at the bed next to her. In the darkness of the room she could see the mound underneath the blankets that was Asuka, facing away from her.

The Monegasque native couldn't shake the feeling that Asuka had been avoiding her. The only time the two of them had been in the same room together that day, had been when they were preparing the dojo. After that point, whenever she was in one room, Asuka would be in another. If she entered the kitchen, and Asuka was there, Asuka would leave before she could even say hello. This continued until just before lunch, when Asuka left for her job at what Lili assumed was at a construction site, judging by the overalls and hardhat she had taken with her. Mr. Kazama remarked that he had thought Asuka had a day off that day, to which Asuka promptly denied before leaving.

Feelings of worry began to manifest inside her chest. Did she do something wrong?

The blonde rolled onto her side, hoping that it would somehow ease her feelings. That was when she heard sheets being ruffled next to her.

Asuka was out of bed.

"Let's swap," she said gruffly.

"Wha-"

"I can't get to sleep if ya keep rollin' around,"

The worry in her chest immediately turned into guilt at her words. Silently she rose to her feet and sat on the edge of Asuka's bed. The springs of the mattress felt stiff, but it would undoubtedly be more comfortable than the floor. She watched as Asuka slipped into the futon without a word, back was still facing towards her.

Lili didn't know whether to be thankful or apologetic to Asuka. For several movements she just sat there, mulling it over, a little scared of how Asuka would respond. In the end she decided on both.

"Thankyou," Lili began weakly, "and I'm sorry for any inconveniences I've caused you,"

"Whatever," Asuka sighed.

Lili couldn't help but hear the trace of annoyance that laced the one word reply. She opened her mouth to ask if she had done something to offend Asuka, but thought it better to not say anything. She lied down on Asuka's bed and lifted the covers over her body.

Asuka's scent was all around her, but she wasn't happy. Instead it just reminded her that for some reason Asuka was upset with her.

She felt tears pooling in her eyes.

Why was she feeling like this? She barely knew the girl and yet she was feeling more rejected than she had ever felt before.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked the tears away. 

No. She wasn't going to let this girl make her cry. She was going to roll with the punches and pass this darn course. As she closed her eyes to sleep she made a vow to herself. From now on she wouldn't be affected by anything Asuka said or did to her.

But of course, that was always easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I said i'd give you asulili arguments right? i stay good on my promises. Although this is pretty melodramatic by asulili standards.
> 
> Asuka you meanie.
> 
> Bye for now.


	9. Tough, Love, Princess

Week 1. Friday. 4.30 pm.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed with forced enthusiasm as she handed out the last flyer.

Finally, it was over. With a flip of her hand she checked the timepiece on the underside of her wrist. 3 hours. She'd been there for 3 hours. Hoping to save as much of the 1800 Euros the university had allocated to her, the Monegasque had forgone hiring people to hand out the flyers for her.

The soles of her feet were beginning to regret that decision.

But with all 400 flyers now gone, the advertisement campaign was a success in her eyes, no matter how minor as it was.

Seeing an unoccupied taxi approaching, the blonde raised her arm to hail it. When it stopped in front of her she got in and gave the driver her instructions to the driver, before sighing in relief as she sank into the worn leather seat. Public transport would have been cheaper of course. But the station was too far away and she was too tired. Taking the taxi saved her from having to put up with the stares people gave her when she did take the trains; her height and blonde hair made her stick out like a sore thumb. And besides, using her own money was permitted, so long as it didn't directly affect the Kazama business.

As the taxi quietly made its way through the busy inner city streets, her mind began to recount the events that happened the previous day.

\---------------------------------------  
\---------------------------------------

Week 1. Thursday. 11.47 am.

Lili frowned as she watched the scene in front of her.

"Didn't I tell ya to fix that form?! Punch it properly unless you want fifty pushups!"

The brunette watched in scrutiny as the young man drew his hand back towards his waist. Anyone could tell that he was exhausted, he was breathing heavily and his hair was drenched with sweat. And yet Asuka still seemed determined to push him further.

After a moment he held his breath, before accelerating his fist into the heavy bag, hitting it with a loud "Thwack!".

He turned to his instructor, hoping he had satisfied her.

"Better, but still incorrect. Fifty push ups. Go."

He dropped to the floor in defeat.

Lili couldn't watch anymore. The poor guy was on the verge of collapse. She had to do something.

"Why don't you just show him?" the Monegasque said as she rose from her seat by the entrance.

"What?" Asuka asked with a growl.

Unfazed by her aggression Lili continued. "Instead of giving him push ups, why don't you show him the proper form so he can remember?"

Murmurs and whispers were heard amongst the five other students. A simple glance from Asuka was all it took to silence them.

"He knows the technique already. The push ups are to make him remember." the Osakan answered mercilessly.

"But this is a self defence class, not a boot camp. Your students are here to learn how to defend themselves; not be ordered to do push ups and squats until they faint from exhaustion."

"Listen Blondie, I'm the one runnin' this class not you. This is the way I teach, and I've been doin' it this way for two years without any problems. Nothin' you do or say is gonna make me change, so why don't ya just sit back and observe like you're meant to."

"No problems huh? So you call running your parents' business into the ground 'no problems'?"

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that it's you that's responsible for the fact that the dojo can't hold onto its members. You're the reason the dojo is failing."

An uneasy silence fell on the room.

Lili regret what she said the moment the words came out of her mouth. It wasn't true. Yes, Asuka's brutish methods may have been a factor, but as far as she could tell, it wasn't the main reason. But words could not be taken back. The only thing left was to push forward. Change needed to happen.

The silence continued, until Asuka hissed. "Get out."

Glowing orbs of amber gazed at her in contained fury. It was like staring into the eyes of a wolf. But Lili refused to back down.

"Or wha-"

"GET. OUT." Her command echoed throughout the dojo for what seemed like minutes.

For a while they just glared at each other unblinking, in a silent war between fiery amber and electric blue.

Eventually Lili's rationality kicked in. Nothing positive could be gained from this situation. And it wasn't really an appropriate topic to be discussing in front of other people. But she wasn't going to let Asuka have the last word.

"Fine," Lili finally said. She went over to where she had been seated and grabbed her things. Instead of immediately heading towards the exit however she walked over towards Asuka.

"Take this," she said as she pulled out a dossier from her purse. When Asuka refused to take it she decided to provoke her.

"Oh what, the buffoon can't read? I expected as much." she said snidely.

The brunette took the bait, snatching it out of her hands with a snarl.

"Be sure to read over it carefully," Lili continued in a more serious tone, "It'll help put things into perspective for you."

And with that, she walked out of the dojo.

\---------------------------------------  
\---------------------------------------

Week 1. Friday. 5.42 pm.

Lili could sense that something was different the moment she stepped out from the cab. The ambience had changed, but how?

She listened intently for a few moments until she finally recognized the muffled sound of laughter in the distance. High pitched giggles could be heard in the direction of the dojo.

Children?

Curious, the blonde made her way around the house towards the dojo. She slowed as she approached the entrance, taking her heeled boots off as quietly as she could before tip-toeing up the stairs. When she reached the top, she stealthily peeked around the corner.

Lili's heart warmed at what she saw.

...........................................................................

"Asuka-sensei! Are you going to teach us the secret technique now?" the young girl with the ponytail asked in anticipation.

Having just turned eight last month, young Akane was the eldest of the five, automatically making her the ring leader of the group. Asuka smiled. Akane reminded her a lot of how she had been when she was little.

"Oh yeah sensei! You promised teach us once we learned the kata!" the boy with the glasses shouted with excitement.

Takumi, more commonly known as "Specs" because of his thick glasses, was next in line. The seven year old just narrowly missed out on the ringleader title, with his birthday coming up in just two weeks. But he seemed quite content playing Akane's second in command.

"Hmmmm. I dunno. Learnin' the kata is one thing. Masterin' it is another," the young woman teased with a raised brow.

"Aww whaaat. But you promised!" the twin girls pouted in unison.

Aoi and Sora; their mother had apparently named them so because of how clear and blue the sky had been when they were born. But as pretty as their names were, the two were mischief incarnate. Swapping clothes and hairstyles was their favorite prank. The six year olds wouldn't be turning seven until the following year.

"Hmmmm," Asuka teased again, almost giggling when she saw the hopeful look on little Hiro's face.

The youngest of the bunch Hiro, was still only five. He was shy little guy, the most timid of the five, but also the most precious. His mother had sadly passed away from leukemia just over a year ago. But with the help of his friends and family loss the tiny trooper had marched on. The kid had become Asuka's own beacon of resilience in the face of loss. Nowadays, whenever life kicked her to the curb, she always thought of Hiro.

Asuka knelt down so she was level to Hiro.

"What about we go through the Kata once more, without me helpin' this time, before I teach you the secret technique? How's that sound Hiro?"

The five year old's eyes gleamed in excitement before he quietly nodded. She nodded back at him with a smile.

"Alright guys, line up!"

Like an well rehearsed dance troupe, her little students ran to the tatami mats in the middle of the dojo, and arranged themselves in a diagonal line from youngest to oldest, facing the back wall.

Once they were all in position Asuka announced, "Begin."

Slowly the five children went through the series of punches, kicks, twists and turns that made up the kata. Asuka circled them, her eyes noting their mistakes.

Aoi was half a beat too quick, while Sora half a beat slow. Akane and Takumi both had good timing, but there were times where they forgot about their form. Hiro had both perfect timing and form throughout, but he lacked power with his strikes.

They were all mistakes that could be corrected easily, but she would save that for next class. Asuka wasn't going to disappoint them by not teaching them the "secret technique". A deal was a deal.

As the kata came to an end she gave a them a thumbs up before motioning for them to gather around her.

"Alright guys, I'm gonna show ya the secret technique now. But ya gotta understand that this is super ultra secret stuff okay? You're not allowed to tell anyone" she exaggerated.

The five nodded in agreement.

"Okay, well to do the secret technique, what ya do is-"

"Hey look everybody! A Princess!" Akane suddenly shouted.

Asuka frowned. She knew Akane had a creative imagination, but a princess?

"Akane, what earth are you talking about?"

Akane just pointed at something behind her. Slowly the other four also began looking towards the entrance.

Asuka spun around....

Lili was standing in the doorway of the dojo, smiling stupidly. At her. In a way that wasn't fake or condescending.

Oh right.

It really was a Princess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the kids will be making more appearances in future chapters.


	10. The Secret Technique.

Week 1. Friday. 5.57 pm.

"Are you a real princess?"

Lili wasn't sure how to answer the question. Technically speaking, she wasn't a princess; royal blood did not flow through her veins. But then again she was also the sole inheritor to a vast amount of wealth and power. And her father did sit on a throne. Kinda. He had big expensive looking chair in his office. That could pass as a throne right? In the end she decided to play along, the annoyed scowl on Asuka's face was just too amusing for her to not.

"Uhh, yes. You could say that I am a princess of sorts."

The children erupted in shouts of excitement. Asuka just leered.

"What's your name what kingdom do you come from?" asked the tallest girl with streak of red hair in her fringe. Lili recalled that her name was Akane.  
"I am known as Princess Lili of the uh,"

She paused as she racked her brain for an answer.

"The uh, Rochefort Kingdom. Yes, I am Princess Lili of the Rochefort Kingdom," she exclaimed in her best princess voice," But just 'Lili' is fine."

Again the children cheered. They then invited her to sit on the tatami mats in the centre of the dojo, to which she complied. For a while she just sat listening to the children learning their names and getting know who they were. They were all so cute. She had just appointed the kids as her royal servants when she noticed how quiet Asuka was being. She glanced at her form sitting behind her pupils. The annoyed scowl that had amused Lili earlier was gone. Now her shoulders were slumped and her face was downcast, her dark brown bangs hiding more of her eyes than usual.

A pang of guilt struck Lili in the chest. Why? Why was she feeling guilty? This was payback after all, for the way she had been treating her the past week. But it was no use. The more Lili tried to convince herself that this was what she wanted, the guiltier she felt. She turned her attention back to the kids, before hushing them silent.

"Now, my royal servants, the time has come for me to bid you farewell."

The kids began to pout.

"Now, now, my royal servants, there is no need to fret, for I will return in a week's time," she reassured them, "But for now I must leave, for I have royal duties to fulfil. And besides, you have a secret technique to learn do you not?"

Lili looked towards Asuka. She was looking at her with a raised eyebrow, puzzled. Lili smiled at her politely, relieved that she no longer seemed downtrodden. She nodded cordially before moving to stand up.

"Wait Princess," Aoi suddenly began.

"Why don't you learn the secret technique with us?" Sora finished.

The other three chirped in approval. Again Lili looked towards their sensei. The Osakan just shrugged in a way that, in Lili's eyes said "I don't care."

And with that Lili nodded, "Okay."

Asuka shot her another look of curiosity before telling everyone to stand up and arrange themselves in a circle.

...........................................................................

She glanced over at the foreigner. The blonde was tying up her long hair in a mid ponytail with red ribbon. She looked so serious about learning the "secret technique", if it wasn't for her business attire one might have thought that she was a student of the dojo. Asuka didn't get it. Wasn't she only here to complete some sort of assignment? If that was the case, why did she look so eager to learn? Why did she have to get so friendly with the kids? There was no benefit for to do that. And there was yesterday also. If she was here purely on business, why had she been so passionate yesterday? It was almost as if the blonde actually cared abou-

"Uh, Sensei?" foreigner asked out of the blue.

"Hmm what is it?"

"We're ready to start now,"

It was then that Asuka realized she had been staring at the blonde for almost a full minute now. She broke her gaze and looked down at her students. She was right. Everyone was standing in a circle, eagerly waiting her next instruction. Asuka shook the previous thoughts from her head. She had a lesson to teach.

"Alright then," the sensei began.

"The technique I'm about to show you all is unique in that it allows you to defend while you're attackin' the opponent," she explained.

The children were silent in anticipation. She couldn't help but grin. This was the most excited she had ever seen them.

"Let me demonstrate first,"

The brunette positioned herself in the beginner Form I stance; hands up to guard the head, feet shoulder width apart, weight spread evenly on the balls of her feet. The stance and hand strikes of Form I were almost identical to that of boxing, but it formed the foundations of the Kazama Style, and was the easiest for demonstrating the "secret technique".

Asuka began to bounce, shifting her weight back and forth, before suddenly-

"HAH!"

With a loud grunt she thrust out her left hand in a blindingly fast punch. She then relaxed and stepped out of her stance before looking towards the children.

As she had expected, they all had confused looks on their faces. All of them except for the Blondie who, to her surprise, was nodding her head knowingly. Again her curiosity spiked. Just who in earth was this girl?

"Sensei, I don’t get it," Akane said, forcing her attention back to the class, "All you did was a basic Form I, lead hand strike."

"You're correct Akane. I did do a lead hand strike. But that's not all I did. What did I do differently guys?" The sensei asked the group quizzically as she paced around the circle. As she paced she heard Hiro mumble something.

Asuka walked over to Hiro and squatted down so she was at eye level with him, before asking, “What was that Hiro?"

"You shouted when you punched," little Hiro answered shyly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"That is exactly right Hiro. Good job." Asuka praised, ruffling the boy's hair as she stood up.

"Now does anyone know why I did that?"

Everyone apart from Blondie shook their head.

Noticing this, Takumi spoke up.

"Lili, do you know why sensei shouted?"

"I do actually, but," the foreigner looked towards her," I think Asuka Sensei can explain it much better than I can."

It's fake. She's a fraud. Her politeness is a lie. She's only being nice to get what she needs.

Asuka wanted believe that wholeheartedly. But for some reason she couldn't. Damn it.

"Well then," she started," Everyone put your hands on your bellies. This will explain everything,"

The class did as they were instructed. The children were still completely puzzled.

"Now on the count of three I want everyone to shout 'Yah!' while still holding onto your bellies. One. Two. Three."

The class did as they were instructed, and a short series of "Yah's" erupted around her.

"Now, what did everybody feel?" Asuka asked.

"My stomach became hard!" Akane exclaimed.

"Exactly," Asuka confirmed. "Remember how I said that every time you attack leaves you open to a counter? Well this is one way you can lower the damage done by a counter to the body. It’s even possible for your attacker to sprain their wrist against your stomach if they aren’t trained to punch properly."

"That is so awesome!" Takumi shouted in awe.

The rest of the children followed suit with excited squeals. It wasn't long before they all started to try it on each other. Uh oh. Someone was bound to get hurt if she didn’t stop them.

"Hey!" Asuka yelled. Immediately they all snapped to attention.

"I never said you could start testing it out on each other did I?" she said strictly.

"No Sensei," the children answered in unison.

"Then why did you do exactly that?"

The five stared at the ground silently.

"Apologize and swear to yourselves to never do that again,"

The five all bowed and all together said, "Sorry, Asuka Sensei."

"Good," she said curtly. The children remained silent. It appeared they all seemed a little shaken from her reprimanding. She glanced at Blondie. Even she seemed a little upset.

"Ok. I'm going to let you all try the technique before we wrap it up for this week. I'll be doin' the punching but don’t worry, I won't go all out. You guys are still kids after all," she smirked. They all seemed to perk up at this.

"But I have one condition. You all have to make up your own grunt and scream it as loud as you can,"

The five looked at each other, big grins on their faces, before saying, "Okay!"

"Positions," Asuka commanded.

At her word the kids lined themselves up on front of her. She moved towards Akane and kneeled before her, touching her fist to the girls stomach.

"Ready, Akane?" Asuka said as she drew her fist back to her own body.

The girl nodded.

"On the count of three then; One. Two. Three-"

"DORRRYAAAAAHHHH- AHHHH!"

Akane shouted for all she was worth as Asuka punched with a quarter of her strength. The other children laughed at the small hiccup-like sound Akane made when Asuka hit her stomach.

"How was it?" The instructor asked.

"I didn't feel anything!" exclaimed the eldest student.

Asuka grinned in amusement before shuffling over in front of Takumi.

"HIIIYAAAAAAAHH- AHHH!"

Again the little hiccup sound interrupted the middle of Takumi's roar when Asuka punched him softly. And again the kids burst into laughter.  
Asuka shuffled over again and continued with last three.

"WAAAAAAH-AHHHHHHH!" shouted Sora.

"HAAAAAAAAAAH- AHHHH!" screamed Aoi.

"YAAH- AHH!"

It took all of Asuka's composure to not smother little Hiro with hugs after his short battle cry. He had tried his best to be as loud as he could and it was so CUTE. From the looks of it Blondie was feeling the same thing, seeing that she was holding her hands behind her back in an attempt to control herself.

"Alright then, that’s all of you. Starting next week we'll be usin' this technique all the time," Asuka said with a huff as she stood up, "I think dad made yakisoba and korokke for you guys this time so head over to the house and eat up while you wait for your parents."

"Wait. What about me?" Blondie suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"Don't I get to practice the secret technique?" the foreigner clarified.

Asuka raised an eyebrow at her. Really? Was this girl serious?

"Yeah sensei you forgot about the Princess!" said Sora.

"You have to show her so she can protect herself!" continued Aoi.

Blondie shot her a challenging look. Tch. She was underestimating her. But in a few moments that would no longer be the case.

"Fine," she agreed, "But I ain't gonna hold back since you're an adult. I won't care if you cry after this."

The blonde huffed in amusement, before walking up to her and leaning over until her face was just inches from hers. Icy blue eyes locked onto her own in a deadly gaze as a pair of glossed lips opened to challenge.

"I think you're underestimating me a little too much, Asuka Kazama. Now bring it."

Full name... What was she, a villain from an anime? Whatever. She was asking for pain. Who was she to deny her of something she wanted?

Asuka touched her fist to the blonde's abdomen and pulled it back towards her body, like she had done with the children previously. This time however she focused on channelling her Ki into the knuckles of her right hand. When she was ready she took a step back and began to count.

"One. Two. Three."

"WOOOOOSHHYAAAAA-AAAAAH-AAAAAAAH-AAAAAH. HAHAHAHA!"

The ridiculousness of the blonde's grunt was amplified by the hiccups caused by Asuka punching her three times instead of just once, as well as the fact that she ended up laughing at herself for making such a strange sound.

Her laughter was infectious. The children had begun to giggle almost immediately afterward. Soon enough Asuka found herself laughing as well. It was the hardest she had laughed in a long time. Just when she thought the laughter was beginning to die down, the blonde snorted loudly, resulting in a fresh bout of laughter in the dojo's inhabitants. Asuka's knees buckled and within seconds she was on the floor clutching at her stomach, unable to stop her guffawing. Their laughter continued for what felt like hours before it finally started to settle.

Somehow Asuka managed pick herself up off the floor. Her abs were so sore, it felt like she had just done 200 crunches. Damn it. The one who was to be in pain was Blondie, not her.

She looked at her roomate. The girl was still kneeling on the floor, gently dabbing tears of laughter from her eyes, taking care not to smudge her eye shadow. As she stood up from the floor, their eyes met, and the blonde immediately gave her a serene smile as she undid the red ribbon she had used to tie her hair up.

Asuka smiled back without even realizing it. The foreigner had surprised her. Blondie had a sense of humor it seemed; maybe she wasn't so tightly wound after all?

Memories their first meeting abruptly flashed through her mind. The brunette frowned.

No. In her experience, first impressions were usually accurate.

As the blonde made her way towards the exit, amber met crystal blue, yet again. They held each other for much longer this time, neither of them breaking the gaze for a full thirty seconds until the blonde's cheeks suddenly flushed red, at which point she averted her eyes towards the floor.

Weirdo.

But seriously, who the heck yelled "Wooshyaaah" as a grunt? The only person she could come up with was Sharapova; she had watched her play while waiting for one of Nishikori's US open matches. Go Japan.

Asuka watched as the foreigner’s long hair swayed to and fro as she made her way down the steps.

Hmm.

Maybe it was just a blonde thing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Kinda had some irl things I needed to sort out.
> 
> But yay more happy things.
> 
> Again apologies if Lili seems ooc. But tekken characters bein goofballs is a rare gem in fanarts and fics. My head canon is that she snorts when she laughs really hard because laughing whole heartedly isn't something she does very often. Usually when she laughs its just her being condescending. And so because of the lack of experience from laughing really hard, she snorts.
> 
> Oh and thankyou for the comments kudos. Praise really helps keep me going. Hehe. 
> 
> And telamon to answer your question is yes i'll put it up on fanfiction as per your request. I just gotta remember my old password....
> 
> But anyway I hope you enjoyed this chappie. Bye for now.


	11. At a Snail's Pace

**Week 1. Friday. 6.33 pm.**

 

"Bye Akane!"

Lili waved as the car drove into the distance. She waited until it rounded the corner before turning and heading back around the house. 

One more left.

She saw Asuka's figure leaning back against the inside of the door frame, watching something inside the house. Lili walked towards the doorway, her high heels clacking against the pavement as she did so. Hearing this, the brunette turned around and touched a finger to hushed lips before pointing in the direction of the living room. Curious, Lili crept up to the doorway as light-footedly as she could, before tracing the young woman's finger towards the couch.

Curled up in a ball on the sofa was little Hiro, still in his karate uniform, sound asleep. His father had yet to come and pick him up. It appeared that once Akane left, Hiro had finally let himself give into sleep.

"Such a precious little one,"

"Ya got that right."

Lili snuck a glance at Asuka beside her. All day she had spent feeling guilty about what she had said the previous day. Although she had been right in confronting Asuka about her training methods, doing it so blatantly in front of the students had been extremely unprofessional of her. And that wasn't even mentioning the fact that she had carelessly revealed sensitive information about the dojo's finances to the public in the heat of their argument.

Calling the girl a buffoon probably wasn't the most mature thing to do either.

After all she had said, Lili was expecting Asuka to either: a) become even more unapproachable than she already was, or b) murder her in her sleep. Fortunately neither had happened. Strangely enough, Asuka now seemed more approachable than ever.

While it had taken three punches in the stomach for it to happen, the two had been able to laugh together. Really laugh. That was something she rarely did. Unfortunately it was that very lack of experience with wholehearted laughter that had caused her to snort in front of everyone. But that had let them laugh some more, so it was almost worth the embarrassment.

"You're leavin' today right?" Asuka suddenly asked. Lili remained quiet for a second before nodding.

It was true. A suite had finally become available at the nearest hotel, which meant she would no longer be staying in the Kazama residence. It was a shame really. She was just starting to get cozy in her new surroundings, but now she had to leave.

"That's correct. I'll be out of your hair soon enough, Asuka Kazama," she confirmed. "After today I'll only be visiting once or twice a week."

"Good," came Asuka's blunt reply.

Not wanting the conversation to die so easily, Lili raked her brain for a topic to discuss. Her gaze fell upon the toddler lying on the couch.

"The kids seem to love your class," she began. "It's undoubtedly because they have an exceptional teacher."

The sudden compliment caught Asuka's attention. She raised an eyebrow at Lili in suspicion.

"What are you tryin' to get at, Blondie?" she asked impatiently.

"All I want to know is why you can't teach your other students like you did just then. I mean, I understand that you treat them differently because they're adults but, from my point of view, the open classes seem more like corporal punishment than anything else."

Moments passed, but Asuka didn't respond. Lili sighed in disappointment.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said yesterd-"

"Don't apologize."

The words stung like no other. For a moment all Lili wanted was for the ground beneath her to open up and swallow her whole. But soon the frustration rise inside her.

"You're impossible, Asuka Kazama," she said before turning to leave.

"Could ya just let me finish what I'm tryin to say for once? Or are people not allowed to think before they speak in whatever country you're from?"

Lili froze mid step. "I'm from Monaco. And for record, the answer to that question is yes."

"Are you done yet?" Asuka asked gruffly as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Go ahead," Lili said as she turned back around to face her, "I'm listening."

It took Asuka a second to gather her thoughts again.

"Well what I was tryin' to say is that there is reasoning behind my methods," she began. "I approach the kids class with the mindset that, if it really came down to a situation where an adult seriously wanted to hurt them, the kids wouldn't be able to outrun or out muscle their attackers. That's why we focus a lot on actual techniques in their classes, especially small joint manipulation."

Lili cocked her head sideways inquisitively.

"You know, stuff like finger holds and wrist locks," Asuka elaborated. "But anyway, for adults it's different. With the adults I assume they're more capable of either de-escalating a hostile situation or fleeing. That's why I push them harder physically, to increase that chance of them escaping successfully."

"But wouldn't their chances be even greater if they knew more techniques?" Lili contended.

Asuka shook her head.

"No. It takes a lot of continuous training just to be able to execute the most basic of techniques at a level that's actually useful in the real world. At least 6 months of daily practice. Most of the students here only come once a week."

Hmm. Lili supposed that made sense.

"Actually it can even be more dangerous for them to know a little than none at all," Asuka continued.

Lili eyebrows furrowed at that statement. "How so?"

 "Well, some people get cocky, start thinkin' they're Marshall Law after just one lesson and end up escalating a situation they could have easily walked away from. Then they get beat up and tell everyone that traditional martial art styles are ineffective on the street, which is total crap of course."

Lili could see how that would be a problem.

"I don't want that happening to any of my students. That's why I train them the way I do. They're safer this way," Asuka concluded. Lili caught a glimpse of genuine worry on her face as she finished her explanation.

"You really do care about your students, don't you?" Lili casually remarked.

"O-of course I do," Asuka stuttered. "Why you askin'? Is there somethin' wrong with that?" Lili noticed her defensive tone.

"Hey I'm not mocking you or anything," she reassured. "I was just surprised, that's all."

Asuka threw a scrutinizing look at Lili, searching for a sign that she was lying. She couldn't find any, and turned away to look at Hiro again. Lili found herself doing the same. Silently, they watched Hiro's chest rise and fall as he slept.

"I read those papers you gave me yesterday," Asuka said softly after a while, eyes still on the boy, "The feedback forms and financial report."

Lili stayed silent, inviting her to continue.

"You were right," Asuka continued, letting out a breath. "Even though I said all that stuff just now about how it's better to push them physically, I needa ease up on 'em. I'm gonna lose more students if I don't. And if that keeps happening we won't be able to stay afloat."

Lili recalled her own analysis of the student reviews. Although a lot of them had politely ticked the "ok" or "good" boxes in the Teacher's review section of the questionnaire, many had answered either "unsure" or "probably not" for the questions, "Do you see yourself continuing after your current membership expires?" and, "Would you recommend this class to your friends?"

And the financial report must have been a slap in the face for Asuka. Lili had been expecting bad figures, but even she was taken aback by the projected numbers. Still, it was a much needed wake up call for Asuka.

Asuka was staring meekly at the floor when she suddenly said, "I'm sorry." Her voice was a weak murmur, a sharp contrast to her usual confident manner of speech. "I shouldn't have blown up at you yesterday. You were only trying to help,"

Lili couldn't help but notice Asuka's tone. It was like she was admitting defeat. Something about that rubbed her the wrong way.

"I won't accept your apology," Lili said flatly. She watched as Asuka glanced up at her in confusion, then in disdain. Lili sensed her anger beginning to flare up.

"At least, not until you accept mine." Lili finished, extinguishing the budding flame of anger in Asuka's eyes.

"I thought I already told you, I don't need it," Asuka replied, the volume of her voice returning to its usual strength. "You were only trying to help, I get it."

"I still called you a buffoon though."

For a minute Asuka just stared at her defiantly before she finally gave up. “Fine. I accept your apology,” she droned mechanically.  

Lili nodded almost triumphantly. “Good, then I accept yours too.”

The two stood in awkward silence for a while before Asuka offered to help bring Lili's luggage back down the stairs again, to which she gladly accepted.

Lili couldn't help but smile. It finally felt like she was making progress with Asuka; like they were beginning to connect.

Asuka must have felt her contentment, because as she arrived at the top of the stairs she asserted, "And just to make things clear, I'm not doin' this to be nice. I just want your stuff outta my room already."

Lili huffed in indignation just as Asuka clambered down the final steps, the first of her many suitcases in hand.

"Are you gonna help or is slave labor still a thing on your country?"

"For the last time, I'm from Monaco. And no,  of course it isn't!"

"Just hurry up before I change my mind about helpin' you." Asuka called from the front yard.

With a shrug, Lili began to trudge up the steps.

Patience, she reminded herself. She was making progress.

Extremely slow progress, that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gomen for the lateness. I was too busy being amused with this: 
> 
> http://labs.dinahmoe.com/plink/
> 
> Hehehehehe.
> 
> heheheheheheheheheeheh.
> 
> Gomen.


	12. Waiting for You

Week 2. Monday. 3.30 pm. 

Never in her life had Asuka been so desperate to check her email messages. As if on cue, her phone began to vibrate in her front thigh pocket for the fourth time in about ten minutes. It was probably her dad wondering where the hell she was. 

She silently cursed the new guy; the same one she’d pulled her shoulder to save the week before. He’d left the site without checking out, and as a result Asuka and the rest of her team had spent a whole 45 minutes searching for the guy, thinking he’d been injured or worse.

Dammit.  

Now she was running late for her afternoon class. Asuka might have been brash, loud and impatient at times, but she was never tardy. It was one of those things her dad had drilled into her when she was little. 

“Always be on time,” he would always say.

Actually that was only the second half of her dad’s saying. The complete mantra was, “Take things slow, but always be on time.” 

She was going to have to break the first half of it. 

“Sorry Dad,” she muttered inside her helmet as she gunned the throttle open. The bikes engine happily complied, lunging forward with a satisfied roar as the revs climbed higher and higher. 

She’d whipped under the sign that said her exit would be coming up in 5 kilometres, when she felt her phone begin to buzz for the fifth time. Again she fought the urge to stand up on the foot pegs and thrust her hand into her pocket to fish for the damned thing; not a great idea when you’re doing 110 down the Hanshin Expressway on a bike. She was already running late. Becoming an organ donor really wasn't in her best interests right now. 

Another sign blew past and she shook her head free of thoughts; only two more kilometres until the off ramp. The urban roads from then on were without a doubt heavily congested. She needed to concentrate if she was going to lane split safely. 

She let the bike coast as it approached the exit, blipping the throttle slightly while pulling in the clutch lever, before toeing the shifter down to third. The engine wound down without complaint, as if it were thanking her for the smooth gear transition. 

Asuka grinned in satisfaction as she leaned into the turn. 

She'd just nailed a perfect downshift. 

\--------  
\--------

The traffic hadn't been as bad as she'd expected, but Asuka still ended up arriving at her house 15 minutes late. The second the ignition was cut, she jumped off and headed for the front door, not bothering to wheel the bike around the back of the house like she usually did. She kicked off her brown combat boots before scrambling up the staircase and into her room, checking her phone as she did so. 

Get here now!

That was the last message from Dad. Oh crap.

Hurriedly she began the tricky process of peeling off her riding leathers. The jacket came off easily enough; it was just the tight black leather jeans that took some time to get out of.

"Asuka, is that you?!” her dad called from downstairs. 

“Yes it’s me!” she called back. 

“Get down here real quick, ya gotta see this.”

"Alright, just give me a sec! I’m still changin’!”

Okay. That didn’t sound like the chewing out she’d been expecting. And was it her or did her dad sound a little… excited? 

She changed into her dojo uniform as quickly as she could while still managing to look reasonable, before palming her headband that was folded neatly on her bedside table and charging out of her room. 

She was met by her father in the living room downstairs, who was failing quite badly at concealing the smile on his face. Asuka noticed that he too was dressed in his dojo attire, despite it not being his class to teach. 

What the heck was going on? 

“You’re not gonna believe this,” he said once he saw her. 

She shot him a quizzical look. “What’s up?”

"You should see for yourself,” he said vaguely, before pointing his thumb towards the back door leading to the dojo.

Suddenly curious, Asuka made her way outside. At first she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as she scanned the outside of the dojo. It wasn't until her eyes settled upon the entrance of the dojo that she saw it. 

Shoes. Lots of them. All lined up against the bottom steps of the dojo.

No way. 

She started towards the dojo entrance, feet only halfway into her sneakers, in an awkward half shuffle run. About a third of the way there started to hear several muffled voices behind entrance doors. That was when she gave up on the shoes altogether and started running barefoot.

No. Freaking. Way.

By the time she had reached the sliding doors she could her heart beating in her ears. She looked back towards her dad, unsure whether what was happening was real or not. He simply nodded with a smile and with that, she slid open the doors. 

It was a scene she had only ever seen before in Shaoilin and Kung-fu movies. There was Blondie, looking quite stunning in a white gi and bright red hakama, with her long hair kept together in a low ponytail tied with white and red ribbon. 

And standing behind her was crowd of at least a hundred people, all dressed in casual but exercise-friendly attire.

They were students. And there were a lot of them. Asuka had to make a conscious effort to keep her mouth closed.

Blondie looked at her, flashing her that cunning smile she was slowly beginning to appreciate.

"I'm glad to see you've finally arrived, Asuka Kazama. We've been waiting for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Booyah biker Asuka.
> 
> Lets face it. There is no way Asuka is gonna get to work at the construction site on the other side of the city on time riding a pedal bike. 
> 
> I can't see Asuka driving a car tbh. Unless its a police car... but thats another fic universe that i'll get around to writing later. 
> 
> But anyway, public transport probably costs more in the long run so bike is the most affordable option. With bonus points for kyaa factor. What a bargain.
> 
> Hope everyone had a happy New Year. I sure did. Food everywhere. Noms ahoy. Hehe.
> 
> Bye for now.


End file.
